A safety ski binding of the above-mentioned type is described in Austrian Pat. No. 338 151. In this conventional construction, a pivotally supported lever is arranged between two locking elements, the release spring pressing the locking element for the elevational release against the lever and the lever pressing in turn against the locking element for the lateral release. The locking part for the elevational release locking element which is arranged movably or swingably on the housing is constructed on the lever, which carries at the same time a locking part which is responsible for the lateral release. Due to this construction, the sole down-holding means is pivotal in the horizontal plane about two aligned kingpins which are secured on a part of the sole holder which is pivotal about a horizontal axis, wherein the entire sole holder is pivotal about the aforementioned horizontal axis in a vertical plane. The construction of the locking elements for the horizontal release is disadvantageous because for this, in various forms of construction, a ball lock is used. A further disadvantage consists in the one part of the sole holder being designed pivotally about the other part of the same structural part, which causes either high frictional forces to occur or stability deficiencies in the sole holder.
A similar safety ski binding has become known from German OS No. 18 06 780 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,545). In this safety ski binding, both locking devices for the elevational and lateral release forces are formed by one common locking member and by one notch carrier which cooperates with the locking member and is effective for both the elevational and also the lateral release. The locking carrier has thereby control surfaces which are important for the elevational and the lateral release. A disadvantage of this conventional construction lies in both the locking element and also the notch carrier being responsible for two release directions. From this it follows that, in particular due to structural limitations, compromises must be accepted. Practical experience has shown that such compromises were not fully satisfactory and, in the case of a product which was indeed sold on the market, a further control cam has been included to control the lateral release, which control cam is provided between the base plate and the housing of the ski binding. This embodiment has in turn the disadvantage that snow, ice or the like can accumulate between the base plate and housing, causing the release operations to possibly become uncontrollable. The practical constructions show that the solution described in the above-mentioned German OS alone is not fully satisfactory for practical use. Furthermore, voluntary stepping out occurs against the force of a release spring.
Austrian Pat. No. 305 843 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,219) has suggested effecting the second locking between the sole holder and an approximately cam-plate-shaped locking member. Even though this construction has proven successful in practice, it is disadvantageous that stepping into the released binding under difficult ground conditions requires some skill, and that a voluntary stepping out must take place in this case also against the force of a release spring.
Furthermore, it is already known from Austrian Pat. No. 327 759 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,277) to support the release spring in the release lever and to thus produce a spring-package unit which is pivotal about a common swivel axis. It is disadvantageous that a voluntary stepping out must also occur in this construction against the force of a release spring.
German OS No. 28 38 904 describes a solution which was created substantially from combining features of the two last-mentioned Austrian patents and also contains their disadvantages.
The purpose of the invention is to bring help here and to design a safety ski binding of the above mentioned type in which the carrier is returned automatically to the initial position after a release operation or after a voluntary stepping out and is held in this position during a stepping in, even when the direction of stepping in differs from the vertical plane.